Race track plant



Mal ch26, 1935.

w. E. GOLDEN RACE TRACK PLANT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 23, 1931 March 26, 1935. w E, GOLDEN 1,995,345

-' RACE TRACK PLANT Filed April 23, 1931 ZSheets-Sheet. 2

UTTornggs.

Patented Mar. 26, 1935 *fi 1 'fi'? UNiTED STATES PATENT ()FFICE RACE TRACK PLANT William E. Golden, Chicago, I11. I 2 Application April 23, 1931, Serial No. 532,295

3 Claims; (01. 20-615) My invention relates to race track plants, this In the drawings,'- application being filed as 'a continuation in part Fig. 1 is a perspective view from one end, partof my formerapplication Serial No. 449,602, filed 'ly broken away, showing the grand stand and May 3, 1930. the promenadein rear of the stand;

5 It is one of the objects'of my invention to pro Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the structure of 5 vide a new and improved form of grand stand F g-' as S from the and I and associatedbuildings, by virtue of which the F g 3 is a v r al cti n vi w h h th patrons may beenabled better to. see the track building Occupied by th ti rs n t e id and may be seated in better and more cheerful Of the t a k i front of e and Sta Such 10 surroundings in general. It is one of the objects building bei g mountedilpeh enreleveter so a te of my invention to provide an improved co tru be lowered into a pitas shown in solid lines, the tion by which a canopy may be provided over the building in i raised P n being indicated by seats and extending some little distance in front dotted lin 7 without in any way interfering with the ability Referring now t h Several figures 0f the of the patrons to see the full length of the track. drawings, in Which Corresponding D e d l5 It is another object of my invention to provide a Gated y the same re e e C aracters, 10 indistructure of this type comprisi g a, canopy cates a track, having fences 11 and 12 at opposite tending out in front of the track and continuing Sides thereof- 13 indicates a grand stand of y to the rear in a cantilever arrangement to a series improved Construction, having e promenade of anchors to which connection is made for counpark 14 in rear thereof, including the usual p 2o tel-balancing the forwardly projecting portion of (100k The grand Stand and Promenade are the canopy. 7 covered by a canopy, comprising a portion 16 cov- 7 It is another object of my. invention to provide eling the grand Stand eXtehding utw rdly glass enclosure means, preferably carried by t in front substantially to the edge of the track, and

5 canopy'and its supporting means, covering the e 130113101117 extending rearweldly from the grand 5' space immediately i rear of th grand t stand over the promenade to a counterbalancing. providing park and promenade space over and arrangement by reason OfWhiCh the canopy P about the paddock and such other features as may tion 6 is Supported Without the u f C u s form a part of the plant as a whole, the glass or at its front edgefAbllilding 18 or he t mers is other enclosing means forthe rear portion of Shown in from? of the grand, Stend- 30 the canopy or perhaps for both the rear portion In the Construction Shown in a Series and the front portion being preferably of a type of cantilever beams 19 are sup e at adapted to permit the passage of the full benemedietepoints by Columns 0 d 21 Ca ed by ficial ray of the'sun the th h, foundations 22 and 23 respectively, the rear end It is another object of my invention to provide portions of t S veral beams 19 being curved 35 an improved arrangement of the buildings occudownward-1y to heavy eollntelbalemeing m mbe s pied by the judges and th timers and Such other 24 to which the beams are connected, such coun-- buildings or other structures as are desirable in telbalaneing be s 24 being preferably in the front of the grand stand, h improved arrangeform of massive blocks of reenforced concrete.

ment being designed to insure a minimum of in- The beams 19 are also positively connected to the 40 terference by such buildings with the view of the members 22 and 23 50 as to be held against P- patrons in the grand stand and the club house. ward movement with respect thereto as well as For attaining this object to best advantage, I have aga nst ew we Ve nt. Thebeems 19 are mounted such small buildings on elevators arof any approved form comprising in the construcranged for lowering the buildings into pits below On ShOWn p and bottom Structural fOrmS 25 45 the level of the ground on each occasion during and 26, and diagonally arranged brace bars 2'7 and the actual running of the race. 28. The arrangement is such that the forward It is another object of my invention to importion of the n p is upport d with the r prove plants of this type in sundry details herequired margin of safety, and is braced with the inafter pointed out. The preferred means by required firmness with respect to the lifting efwhich I have accomplished my several objects are fect of the wind underneath the canopy. illustrated in the drawings and are hereinafter In the arrangement shown, the canopy portion specifically described. That which I believe to be 16 comprises opaque closure means by which new and desire to cover by Letters Patent is set shade is provided as well as protection from rain forth in the claims. and the like. The canopy portion 1'7 on the'other 55 hand comprises closure means in the form of glass or other suitable material of a type adapted to permit the passage of the ultraviolet and the infra-red portions of the sunlight therethrough, with the resultant beneficial effects by which the value of the sunshine may be enjoyed by the people underneath the canopy portion 17 without subjection to the cold or other objectionable features of the weather. Such closure means permitting the passage of the; actinic rays therethrough is of any approved form and is mounted in any approved manner.

Referring now to Fig. 3, which shows the building 18 and its related parts, 29 indicates a pit preferably lined with concrete, in which I have provided a pedestal 30 adapted to support the building 18, the building beingprovided with downwardly projecting bars 31 at opposite sides which act as guides for the building as it is moved up and down with respect to the pit, the lower ends of the bars 31 being braced by diagonal bars 32. The building'18 is counterbalanced by means of weights 33, connected to the building by means of cables 34 extending over pulleys '35 revolubly mormted in position inthe pit 29 near the upper end thereof. The means for moving the building 18 up and down with respect to the pit comprises cables 36 passing over suitable pulleys at the upper end of the pit, passing thence downwardly about pulleys 3'7 near the bottom of the pit, and thence inwardly'into operative engagement with a capstan or sheave 38 which is driven by an electric motor 39. The roof ill of the building in the construction shown is flat and is of a size to fill the openingat the upper end of the pit. The arrangement is such that the roof 40 is level with the surrounding ground about the pit when the building is in its: lowermost position.

With the building 18 in its raised position as is shown in Fig. 1, such building is available for use by the timers and other track oflicials. When it is time for a race, the building 18 can be quickly lowered to theposition shown in solid lines in Fig. 3, so as to leave a clear'view of the opposite side of the track from any and-all points of the grand stand.

While I prefer to employ the form and arrangement as shown in my drawings, it is to be understood that my invention is not limited thereto, except so far as the claims may be so limited by the prior art, it being understood that changes might well be made in the particular arrangement employed without departing from the spirit of my invention,

I claim:

1. In a race track plant, the combination of a grand stand, promenade grounds behind the grand stand, a unitary roof structure comprising a plurality of beams arranged side by side across the grand stand and extending to the rear of said promenade grounds behind the grand stand, means at the rear portion of the grand stand for supporting said beams at intermediate points therealong in substantially balanced condition, enclosure means between said beams covering at least the greater portion of both the grand stand and the promenade grounds, and anchoring devices connected with said beams at the rear edge portion of the promenade grounds adapted in combination with said beam supporting means to hold the beams in their operative elevated positions.

2. I na race track plant, the combination of a grand stand, promenade grounds behind the grand stand, and a unitary roof structure over both the grand stand and the promenade grounds comprising a series of long heavy beams side by side supported at intermediate points therealong at the rear portion of the grand stand with their front endportions in substantially horizontal elevated position above the grand stand and their rear end portions curved downwardly opposite the supporting means, means for anchoring the rear end portions of said beams down in rear of the promenade grounds, and enclosure means between said beams covering at least the greater portion of both said grand stand and said promenade grounds.

3. In a race track plant, the combination of a grand stand, promenade grounds behind the grand stand, a unitary roof structure comprising enclosure means over both' the grandstand and the promenade grounds, and a series of long heavy beams arranged side by side supporting said enclosure means with their front end portions in elevated position over the grand stand and-their rear end portions curved downwardly over and behind the promenade grounds, supporting means at the rear portion of the grand stand engaging approximately the middle portions of said beams, and anchoring means connected with the rear end portions of said beams at the rear portion of said promenade grounds adapted by themselves in'cooperation with said supporting means to hold said roof structure in operative elevated position. 

